I still encounter businesses that have their website managed by their IT (Information Technology) Department. Here’s the problem with that: IT Departments are usually not made up of great marketers.
Although IT specialists excel in ensuring connectivity, data protection, and assessing equipment needs, they may not possess the expertise in articulating a company's value proposition or truly understanding the dynamics of the business' target market and how it aligns with the company's brand.
For this reason, managing the company’s website design, functionality, content, graphics, usability and analytics should be a function of the Marketing Department.
Don’t Leave Your Marketing in the Hands of IT
I understand that the line gets blurry, especially when the IT Department is responsible for fixing computer crashes or other Internet-related errors. Or even when the IT Department is responsible for procuring website hosting, and server needs.
So, somewhere in delegating those responsibilities, the role of managing “all-things-website” was kicked over to the IT Department, including messaging and how the company’s brand extension engages its target market online.
Thats a mistake.
These crucial strategies have been entrusted to individuals who may not have had any formal marketing education. It's akin to letting your printing vendor oversee the management of your direct mail campaigns.
How a Controlling IT Department Can Impede Performance
IT Departments often maintain a tight grip on website control out of concern that any mistakes or errors could lead to trouble tickets and additional work for the IT Department.
As a result, any design modifications or enhancements requested by the Marketing Department must pass through the IT Department's workflow, ultimately constraining the Marketing Department's capacity to enhance or evaluate the website's performance effectively.
3 Ways to Effectively Market Your Website
Marketers must acquire the essential skills to successfully oversee a company's online brand. Marketing a website requires a fresh skill set encompassing design, analytics, SEO, usability, communication, and beyond.
This gap can be filled by one of three ways:
- Invest in the training and sophisticated tools to equip your current staff to take on these new and important competencies.
- Hire online marketing experts to add to your internal resources (designer, coder, copywriter, analyst, etc.).
- Partner with an outside digital marketing agency.
Regardless of the approach taken, once the Marketing Department takes the reins of the website, they can effectively steer the company's online brand towards aligning with the strategic direction. This shift allows for the flexibility and control needed for the company's online marketing efforts to thrive in today's digital landscape.
Benefits of Marketing Managing Your Website
Enhanced User Experience
Allowing marketing to oversee your website’s CMS can enhance the user experience. With a keen understanding of the importance of creating a user-friendly and visually appealing website, marketing teams can ensure that content is well-organized for easy navigation and comprehension.
By prioritizing user experience, marketing can optimize the website layout, enhance page load speeds, and make it effortless for visitors to access the information they seek.
Targeted Content Creation
Marketing teams excel at understanding their target audience and crafting content that truly resonates with them. By taking charge of the website CMS, they can customize the content to cater to specific audience segments, ensuring that the right message reaches the right individuals.
This personalized approach not only boosts engagement and conversions but also enhances the overall experience for website visitors.
Improved SEO Strategies
Marketing teams are well-versed in optimizing search engine visibility through strategic SEO techniques. By taking control of the website CMS, marketers can enhance site structure, metadata, and content to boost search engine rankings.
Conducting keyword research, crafting SEO-friendly URLs, and implementing best practices all contribute to increasing website visibility. With these refined SEO strategies, your website is poised to attract relevant organic traffic and expand its audience reach.
Efficient Campaign Integration
By entrusting marketing with the management of your website CMS, you open the door to seamless integration of diverse marketing campaigns. From social media initiatives to email promotions and special offers, the marketing team can ensure that your website showcases these campaigns effectively, providing a unified experience for visitors.
They can craft engaging landing pages, refresh banners and calls-to-action, and optimize the site to align perfectly with campaign objectives. This streamlined campaign integration not only boosts conversions but also maximizes the ROI on your marketing endeavors.
Data-Driven Decision Making
Marketing teams are known for their data-driven approach, and by managing the website CMS, they can gather valuable insights and make informed decisions. They can track website analytics, monitor user behavior, and analyze data to identify areas of improvement and optimize the website's performance.
By leveraging data-driven insights, marketing can consistently refine the website, conduct A/B tests, and implement data-backed adjustments to enhance user experience, boost conversions, and attain superior outcomes overall.
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